Mom accused of driving in ocean with kids linked to 2007 fatal crash

The Cross woman accused of driving a van with her children into the ocean near Daytona Beach had previously been involved in a Florida car wreck that killed a woman, according to records and published reports.

Ebony Wilkerson, 32, is currently undergoing a mental evaluation after police said she submerged her minivan with her children in the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday.

Florida court records show Wilkerson had previously been cited in a fatal car wreck that occurred in Delray Beach on Feb. 23, 2007.

Wilkerson changed lanes on Interstate 95, causing the driver of the other car to lose control and crash into a concrete barrier, the Sun Sentinel newspaper in Broward County reported at the time.

The passenger, 35-year-old Jennifer Krane, was critically injured but died two weeks later, according to her obituary.

Wilkerson was cited for improper lane change, according to court records.

Her driver's license was suspended for a year and she was ordered to serve 132 hours of community service, court records stated.

Investigators are now evaluating whether Wilkerson should be charged in this week's incident.

Her three children - ages 3, 9 and 10 - were rescued from her van Tuesday and taken to a hospital, authorities said.

They were released from the hospital Thursday, according to John Harrell, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Children and Families. Harrell said the children did not suffer any serious injuries.

"They were a bit shaken up by the incident," Harrell said. "They are in our protective custody and they are safe."

Harrell said their department is working with the S.C. Department of Social Services to determine the children's prior living situation and whether there were any signs of abuse or neglect.

911 call

A few hours before authorities said Wilkerson drove her van into the water at around 4 p.m., Wilkerson's sister, Jessica Harrell, called 911 worried about Wilkerson's well-being.

During the call, Harrell told the operator her sister was being abused by her husband, according to the recording, obtained from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

Harrell also said she had checked Wilkerson into the hospital Monday, but she had signed herself out the next day, according to the recording.

"She's getting a little bit better, but she's still not all here," Harrell told the operator. "She's trying to drive and I'm trying to stop her."

Harrell also told the operator Wilkerson was talking about Jesus and that demons were inside the house.

In order to keep her from leaving the house, Harrell said she took away her sister's keys to the van, which is registered to Wilkerson's husband in South Carolina, according to the 911 call.

During the phone call, Harrell told the operator her sister had found another set of keys and had taken off.

Daytona Beach Police caught up with Wilkerson and her children shortly after, but had to let Wilkerson go, according to authorities.

Wilkerson's behavior while speaking to officers did not meet the criteria that would give them the authority to take her into custody under the state's Florida Mental Health Act of 1971, commonly referred to as the Baker Act.

A little more than two hours later, Wilkerson drove her car carrying her children into the water, authorities said.

The husband

The incident report from Daytona Beach, Fla., did not include the name of Wilkerson's husband.

Other reports indicate Wilkerson was married to Lutful Ronjon, 31, of Cross.

On May 11, 2005, Ronjon was arrested and charged with domestic battery, according to court records.

The wife's name was redacted from the report obtained by The Post and Courier. But the report identifies but the wife's sister as Jessica Harrell, Wilkerson's sister.

Ronjon struck his wife during an argument about receipts, leaving her with a bruise on her cheek, according to the report.

He was charged with domestic battery and went through a domestic violence pretrial service program before the charge was dismissed, according to court records.

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